Continuum of Care

On April 20, 2017, the CSOC voted to approved updated By-Laws and become the HMIS Lead. Please click here for more information.

The CSOC formally known as the Stanislaus County Housing and Support Services Collaborative/Continuum of Care (CoC), was formed in 1988. In July of 2001, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, the City of Modesto, and the majority of our local city governments, officially recognized the CoC as the coordinating body for homeless programs and services in Stanislaus County. The CoC is comprised of over 88 members and more than 50 agencies and organizations representing all cities within Stanislaus County. This volunteer body has brought $2Million-$3Million per year to the community; to date equating to over $60Million. These funds have been used to combat the impact of homelessness facing our community. Since 1988, the Housing Authority of the County of Stanislaus has generously served as the Lead Applicant for the CoC. In this role, it coordinated and packaged the annual submission of grant applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), spearheaded the annual Point-In-Time Count effort and oversaw the Homeless Management Information System.

Over time, the complexity and effort demanded of the CoC has eclipsed the capacity of a volunteer group to accomplish all of the compliance, reporting, monitoring, and grant application requirements. In 2015, Stanislaus County initiated Focus on Prevention and a Homeless Action Council established. Over the course of the past year it has become clear that in an effort to maximize and align existing and future resources, it would be beneficial if the CoC and Homeless Action Council merged into one organization. By merging into one organization all sectors of our community will continue to develop the vision, energy, and commitment to act and think in new innovative ways; compete more successfully on the national theatre for federal and state funding dollars; be better positioned to consider and leverage new sources of funding; build local capacity; develop new levels of partnership and investment; and achieve/document a reduction in the use of high-cost local services to meet the local need of the homeless population.

Over the last few months, the CoC has been discussing a formal transition of leadership to a new 25-member Board of Directors representing all sectors of the community. On March 9, 2017, the CoC voted to replace its existing Executive Committee with the new, 25-member Board of Directors. (A list of the new 25-member Board of Directors is attached.) The CoC also designated the City of Modesto as the Collaborative Applicant for the CoC. In this capacity, the City of Modesto will serve as staff to the CoC and will responsible for the reporting, monitoring and other functions necessary to keep the CoC in compliance with HUD regulations. Please click here to be redirected to the City’s CoC site.